Ineffable
by infinitysphere
Summary: When the Twilight invades Hyrule, Link fights his way through all kinds of trials, sorrows and monstrosities. But he realises his main motive is not just to save his land...the monsters have taken Ilia, and they will pay. Partial retelling of TP.
1. To Begin at the Beginning

**Author's Note: **This is a story I have been thinking of for some time, but what with school and other work I hadn't got around to publishing it. FF's document exchange does not seem to like me so my beta-reader hasn't had a go at this one yet. However, any suggestions, reviews, comments and polite nitpicking is most welcome. Flames are not.

As I have said during Runs in the Family (one of my other fics), if I owned Zelda, I would be writing the next game story, not a fanfic. Therefore, I do not own Zelda. Twilight Princess plot, characters, items and locations belong to Nintendo. This storyline (the original bits and character portrayal) belong to me.

Enjoy. Reviews are welcome, and indeed, requested.

**Ineffable**

**Chapter 1: To Begin at the Beginning**

My name is Link, and from a peaceful village life, I have been thrown into the adventure of a lifetime. I have been charged with saving my land from darkness, but that is not the only thing driving me. The perpetrators of the darkness have kidnapped my best friend.

The adventure itself is something I actually enjoy, something I was meant to be doing. But whoever took her, whoever stole her from us, will pay. I am no mere swordsman. I am the Hero of Light.

I cannot express in words the feelings I have on this quest, or the feelings I have for Ilia.  
Both are ineffable. But I will try.

***

Where to begin? I'm seventeen years old, and I live in a place known as Ordon, in the kingdom of Hyrule. Hyrule is a massive land with all sorts of landscapes and people, and I do not think I will ever be able to see it all. Ordon, on the other hand, is a quiet secluded area to the south of the kingdom, so different from the rest of the land that people sometimes forget to include it among Hylian lands.

We Ordonians make a living by farming and animal husbandry. The owner of the largest ranch in town is named Fado, and he raises goats. The rest of the villagers have small farms and grow food crops, which they sell to traders from Hyrule and southern kingdoms. Ordonian cheese and pumpkins in particular are renowned.

I was found as a baby by the villagers, and I do not know who my parents are. Until about a year ago, I lived with the village blacksmith and swordsman, a man named Rusl, and his family. I consider him and his wife, Uli, my parents now, and his son Colin – all of ten years – is like my younger brother.

Fact is, all the kids of Ordon look up to me. Ever since I began helping Fado out on the ranch, and proved to be far better at the job than he was, I became the object of their adoration. When Rusl began teaching me how to use a blade, the situation did not improve. The little kids of this town are now faithful Link-admirers, but I want none of it.

So…my family is Rusl, Uli and Colin, but sort of includes the whole town. And the mayor's daughter, Ilia, is my best friend. She's the only one my age in this place, and she is the nicest person I have ever met.

Rusl is a good swordsman and a good teacher, and I soon became fairly skilled with a sword. We led a peaceful, idyllic life, raising crops and goats, selling them for occasional rupees, which we spent on odd items whenever we went to the town around Hyrule Castle. But all that changed one day, a day I will never forget, and a day I was constantly reminded of every day for several months.

It began with three things: a sword, a shield and a monkey.

***


	2. Ordon Day

Author's Note: Just restarted Twilight Princess (I finished it a few months ago) and realised I needed to rewrite this chapter a bit. I'm playing the game as I write this so I don't miss any story points.

I do not own Zelda or any of its elements. That is a privilege bestowed upon Nintendo.

Reviews most welcome, flames not. Inputs and suggestions will also be appreciated.

**Chapter Two: Ordon Day**

As twilight fell, casting its orange and golden rays on to our land, covering the forests beyond Ordon in shadow and preventing us from seeing what lay there, I sat with Rusl at the spring in Faron Woods.

It was a sacred, peaceful place. The water was shallow, no more than a few inches, and covered nearly the entire clearing. A small waterfall flowed at the end of the clearing, fed by water flowing down the cliffs behind it.

"The hour of twilight is when we feel the loneliest," Rusl said to me. It was true. The orange and yellow light evoked strange feelings, as day faded away into night but left us with this eerie, yet beautiful in-between time.

Twilight. How well I would know that word later on.

"It is the time when our world and their world meet," he continued. I didn't get to ask him what he meant, but clearly the Goddesses intended for me to find out, as I later realised.

Rusl also told me that he had prepared gifts for our ruler, Princess Zelda: a sword and a shield. Although the Princess probably had a sword of her own, it would not be half as good as one made by Rusl. Only the legendary Master Sword, which had faded into the mysteries of time and history, would be better, I thought. An Ordon Shield, made of hard wood and engraved with a goat's horns, would be no mean offering either. The Princess would be pleased.

Then Rusl pulled out the real shocker. He told me that he wanted me to deliver the gifts.

"It isn't a safe world out there," I said.

"That's all right, Link. You're a good enough swordsman, you're good with a horse – mind you, you have the best horse I have seen – and you keep your wits about you always. You'll be fine. Besides," he added, "you might even get to meet Princess Zelda." He winked.

For some reason I wasn't as thrilled as most of the men in Hyrule would have been. Suffice to say I had eyes only for Ilia.

"So when do I leave?" I asked.

"The day after tomorrow."

Ilia was not pleased when I told her that night.

***

The ranch owner, Fado, wanted me to get his goats herded back, but there was no sign of Epona.

I found her, and Ilia, at the spirit spring just outside the village.

"I washed Epona for you, Link." I didn't know what to say. A smile was all that showed up.

***

I helped get the goats on the ranch back into the corral that evening, and returned back home.

In my house, built on a large tree, I slept peacefully, but my dreams were…varied. I saw Ilia with Epona, then twilight fell and I heard Rusl saying "when we feel the loneliest", then they were gone and I was running through a shadowy land…no, they were not true shadows, it was twilight. Then I saw an Ordonian Sword in my hand, which changed shape and became the Master Sword, as I had seen it from books.

***

The town children: Beth, daughter of the shopkeeper, Colin, Rusl's son, Malo and Talo, whose father owned the village waterwheel, woke me up early in the morning, their voices carrying through my open window.

I had the day off from my work at the ranch, and so I left Epona tethered beside my house. The kids told me that Beth's mom had a slingshot in her shop, but it was too expensive for them to buy. Going into Ordon, I found Beth's mom, Sera, morose because her cat had run away, her husband Hanch trying to knock down a huge beehive and Rusl's wife Uli near the stream: the cradle she had made (she was expecting a baby soon) had been taken away by a monkey.

With some help from the local hawk, I got the cradle back, and Uli gave me a fishing rod, which Colin had made for me. I got the cat back (all he wanted was a bit of fish), getting half a bottle of milk in return. I knocked down the beehive. All in a day's work.

There was no sign of Ilia. On inquiry, the mayor, Bo, her father, said she had locked herself in her room, and was making something for me. I was happy, but I really wanted to see her.

I got some money and bought the slingshot, then showed the kids how to use it. Rusl also gave me my wooden sword, repaired (our last training session had left it a bit chipped). I showed the kids some sword fighting skills, and then the monkey showed up again. They chased after it, into the woods.

I took Epona and pursued them. Some of the children –Beth, Malo and Colin, I found on the way. They couldn't keep up with the monkey. But Malo's brother Talo had gone deep into the forest, into the next province, Faron.

***

I crossed into Faron, and bought a lantern from Coro, the man who lived at the edge of the woods. Epona refused to go any further. I dismounted and walked towards the cave leading into Faron, and was attacked by a massive plant: a Deku Baba.

Rusl's training paid off. I made short work of the Baba, as well as the dozen or so Keese and Bokoblins I met as I made my way into the woods. Coro's pet parrot, Trill, was in this lonely place, selling oil and potion, but I didn't buy any just yet. Starting up a long sloping path, I reached a massive, decayed tree. Around it was a gorge, hundreds of feet deep, swirling with mists and incredibly dark. A small platform was visible past it, however. The signs around said "Forest Temple".

My attention was diverted from the gorge and the platform by two more goblins attacking me. I killed them, and found Talo and the monkey in a cage, which also fell to my wooden sword. Talo told me how the monkey had tried to protect him, and she went away while I took Talo home.

The woods had always been a safe place. Now they were dark, imposing, threatening and quiet.

***


	3. Twilight

**Author's Note: **Replaying TP really helps. This chapter is mostly a narration of what happens in the beginning of the game, but I do not plan for this story to be a complete retelling of the plot (see the summary). After this it will skip a bit, to Link's thoughts and crucial plot points. However, I still plan to include major portions of the storyline so that those who haven't (and in fact, even those who have) played Twilight Princess will be able to understand it better.

I do not own Zelda or any element related to the franchise, except for the idea for this story, and my TP game.

Please review if you like it, review if you don't like it, just review. All writers need to know how their stories are being received. If there are any changes I need to make, do let me know!

On to the story.

**Chapter Three: Twilight**

Hailed as a hero of sorts when I got home, I packed whatever I needed: a small leather pouch, the bottle of milk, waterskins and some food. I turned in for the night.

The next morning, after putting the goats back in the corral, with my wooden sword in a sheath on my back, and Epona saddled and ready to leave, I said my goodbyes to the townspeople and went to take the gifts for the Princess from the mayor.

Ilia came out with her father. The sunlight shone off her brown hair. Just managing to drag my eyes away towards Bo, I tried to keep up with what he was saying. Then Ilia noticed a wound on Epona's leg. Apparently in the previous day's chase I had injured her, or perhaps while jumping hurdles that morning. After giving us a serious dressing down, she led Epona away to the spirit spring nearby to heal her.

I cursed and ran to the spring, but not before Talo accosted me and forced me to give him my sword. Ilia refused to let me in. She locked the gates of the spring. Colin took up my case and made his way in, after showing me a side tunnel into the clearing.

"He pushes her too hard! Look at this!" Ilia said. I felt stung.

"Ilia, you don't know what he did yesterday! Talo got kidnapped!"

"What?"

"A monkey showed up, while you were inside your house making that present for Link," Colin said.

_Present?_

"Then all of us chased after it, and we ended up in the woods. Only Talo could keep up, and then both he and the monkey disappeared. Link chased after them and fought off the goblins that had taken them, and brought them back."

"I hadn't heard about Talo's rescue. I'm sorry Colin, it's just…"

Colin motioned, and I crawled through the tunnel and reached him and Ilia.

"I'm sorry, Ilia. And to you, Epona." Ilia turned towards the horse, who whinnied in reply and reared. She seemed fine.

"So you still prefer your master over me, huh? Well, that's all right. Link, that was, very brave. What you did," Ilia said, eyes lowered.

"Um, thanks?"

"Promise me just this one thing," she said, still not looking at me. "Promise me you won't try to anything out of your league. Just…come back home safe," she pleaded, eyes wide. I smiled and walked up to her. I would have promised her anything just then.

"I'll come back to you, Ilia. I promise."

Hoofbeats. Roars.

Two green goblins – Bulbins, they were called - , mounted on a boar, broke through the gates. They clubbed Colin and hit Ilia with an arrow.

_No!_

I reached for my sword, which was…in the village with Talo. The club found me next. Before blackness descended, I saw a massive Bulblin on a bluish white boar enter and blow a horn. Strange darkness – like unnatural twilight – fell.

_Ilia, _I thought, before falling.

***

The rest was a daze. I woke up, found no one, and ran out into Faron. A black wall of twilight loomed there, and a monster pulled me in. I screamed, and my body began to change. Three golden triangles glowed on my left hand, the bottom right one brightest. The Triforce of old. The beast let me go, but its work was done. I was now a wolf.

Exhausted, I fell, and it dragged me away into the fields.

***

I woke up in a cell, where I met the imp, Midna. After some initial disagreement, we decided to help each other, and we made our way out of the eerie dungeons to the roof level.

Hyrule Castle. The world covered in twilight.

Midna led me to a tower, where we met…Princess Zelda. Rusl didn't know how right he would be. But strangely, though I was in the same room as one of the most beautiful people in Hyrule, I only thought of Ilia.

Zelda told me how the twilight had fallen: its king had attacked and forced her to surrender, the people had become spirits and the land was cloaked in darkness. We left.

Midna said I had forgotten something. She turned into an image of Colin, and then Ilia. But I had not forgotten.

"You want to rescue them? Then you'll have to come with me."

And so I did. Midna warped us back to Ordon.

***

There were Bulblins in the woods, one outside the village and one in front of my house. I attacked. A squirrel, which I had noticed while leaving the woods – as a human – thanked me and brought me up to speed with the happenings. The Bulblins had attacked Ordon and kidnapped the other children.

Midna wanted weapons, and so, hiding around the village and gleaning information from the villagers' talk, I found out where the gifts were stored: the shield was in Talo and Malo's house while Rusl had the sword in his living room. He himself had been badly injured by the monsters. Midna and I quickly retrieved both items, and I left Ordon, desperate to find the children, and Ilia.

At the spring – where this entire mess began – a strange voice stopped me. I entered, and a shadow being attacked me. Rage filled me: it was identical to that which turned me into a wolf. I made short work of it.

I met the Light Spirit Ordona then. She said she was one of four light spirits that protected Hyrule, and that the other three had been stripped of their light by the twilight's monsters. She said that I was the chosen Hero of the land; hence I had not been changed into a spirit like the rest of the citizens. Ordon remained shadow free, as I had killed the beast that intended to attack Ordona.

And so my quest began. I was to go to each province, and free the spirit there of the darkness. Off we went into Faron.

***

Shadow Beasts and other monsters attacked us on the way, but I soon got used to my form and fought them as easily as I would in human shape. The spirit Faron gave us a Vessel of Light to store its stolen power, which was vested in numerous shadow insects that were scattered across the woods.

I found the insects, and restored light to Faron. And then the real surprise: I looked entirely different. I was back in human form, but Faron had given me the clothes of the Hero of Time.

Faron said the only way to defeat the king of twilight was to find the dark powers hidden across the land. One was in the Forest Temple: the immense, old tree near which Talo and the monkey had been held prisoner. I went there, spurred on by Midna's affirmations that Ilia and the children might be near.

***


End file.
